Sherman's Security Blog
I am Sherman Hand. (also known as Policysup) I have created this blog and will use a part of my day to write about what is going on in the world. I hope to discuss things in a down to earth and practical way. I hope to hear back from you on your thoughts. I do not in any way intend to speak for my employer. The content of this blog will be either opinions that are strictly mine, general observations,re posts, or information that is already in the public domain.

A recent survey of 500 CIOs and IT decision makers in the U.S., U.K., Germany and France found that fully 94 percent of respondents see free Wi-Fi hotspots as a significant mobile security threat to their organizations.

The survey, conducted by Vanson Bourne for iPass, also found that 62 percent of respondents ban their mobile workers from using free Wi-Fi hotspots, and another 20 percent are planning to enforce such bans in the future.

Ninety-two percent of respondents said they’re concerned about the security challenges posed by a growing mobile workforce.

“Wi-Fi is a disruptive technology that has changed the way people work, but in recent times it has also introduced formidable mobile security concerns,” iPass vice president of engineering Keith Waldorf said in a statement. “Being connected is the basic requirement of every mobile worker. However, with increasing numbers of businesses falling afoul to security breaches, the number of organizations expressing a concern about mobile security is high.”

“The use of free and insecure Wi-Fi hotspots in particular is a growing concern, as organizations balance the need for low-cost and convenient connectivity against the potential threat posed by hackers,” Waldorf added.

When asked to name their organization’s biggest mobile security threat, the leading responses were free Wi-Fi hotspots (37 percent), employees’ lack of attention to security (36 percent), and the devices used by employees (27 percent).

One in five organizations acknowledged having suffered a mobile security breach, primarily driven by malware and malicious Wi-Fi.

When asked if any of their BYO or corporate-owned devices had downloaded malware in the past, 39 percent of respondents said yes, 26 percent said no, and 35 percent weren’t sure. And when asked if any of their BYO or corporate-owned devices had connected to malicious Wi-Fi in the past, 24 percent of respondents said yes, 28 percent said no, and 48 percent weren’t sure.

Still, only 30 percent of organizations plan to increase their security budgets for BYOD in the next 12 months.

“The threat of data leakage is more prevalent than ever as employees look to access sensitive corporate information on mobile devices outside the corporate network,” Bitglass CEO Nat Kausik said in a statement. “Unfortunately, few organizations have adequate risk control measures in place.”